The Journey for Truth
by YellowSteed
Summary: Marissa has no real family but was adopted at an early age. Who is her real family, and how will she find them?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first time writing any sort of fictional story like this, so I apologize if it's not as good as you think it could be. I would really appreciate any sort of feedback you would be willing to give me, either positive or negative. Finally, thank you for reading! (Even if you don't want to finish, I thank you for giving me a chance)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything like that.**

Chapter 1: The Stage is Set!

It started out just like any other day of school. I met my best friends Esther and Brook at my locker before classes began to talk over our game plan. Today was the district-wide triathlon, and the top 3 finishers from each school got their own medal and a gift certificate to a restaurant of their choosing. I didn't really care about the rewards for winning. What I did care about was wiping the smirk off of Tiffany Lambert's face. The self-proclaimed queen of eighth grade had spent the last two years of her life ruining mine in various ways: convincing every guy who would pay attention to me that I was a drug addict, making fun of the second-hand clothes I wore, and even that I had no real home. That last point is funny because it was actually true. I had never met my birth parents, and was adopted by my new family when I was ten years old. I hesitate to use the term family there, because it's not what you would typically think. I live with my adopted mother Alice Rockwell. Her husband Mark left her shortly after I came to live there, and although Alice will never admit it, I know I'm the reason he ran off. The slam of a locker brought me back to reality.

"Are you ready?" a concerned Brook asked me.

"I think so" I replied. "I mean, I've only been training for this over the past 5 months".

"Well you really did need it, you couldn't even finish the first few times you tried" joked Esther. It was true. Swimming came naturally to me, as did any form of running. But bicycling felt so alien to me. I was convinced I would get a faster time running while carrying the bike than actually riding it. But all of my training had paid off in the last few days as I didn't completely fail while riding the bicycle.

"True, but I think I'm ready now" I said while giving them both a wink. "No one's going to see me coming." There was a slight crackle above our heads, then a metallic voice rang through the halls.

"All students participating in the district triathlon need to report to the large gym at this time. Again, all students participating in the triathlon today need to report to the large gym at this time."

Brook looked at me with a smile. "Sounds like it's time to show them what you've got. Good luck!" I gave them both a half smile before taking off for the gym.

As I cautiously pulled one of the double doors open, the voice of Coach Hummel washed over me. Silently cursing for being late, I slipped inside and made my way to the bleachers, hopefully going unnoticed. My attempt was in vain as Hummel raised an eyebrow at me but continued his speech.

"Now I'll say it again, the most important thing for you to remember out there is to stay safe. We've gone ahead and roped off parts of the lake for the course, just stay inside of the rope lines and you'll be fine. If you brought your own bicycle it will be waiting for you on the other side, otherwise you can choose one from the pool that we have obtained." A few chuckles were heard at his lame pun attempt. Inwardly I sighed. The rest of the kids in attendance surely had their own bicycles to use for the course, so I would be the only one having to borrow one. With my luck I would get the one with two flat tires. "The bike course is mostly over flat terrain except when you initially travel through the woods. Be careful of large tree roots and rocks and you should make it through there just fine. At the last checkpoint you'll dismount your bike and run to the finish. The running is all on a road so nothing should trip you up. There will be volunteers along the majority of the course to help if you run into any problems. Alright let's get out there and have some fun, and remember to stay safe!" Hummel yelled, getting an equally energetic yell back from the contestants. As we dispersed to the changing rooms I caught a glimpse of Tiffany, her silky black hair dancing on her shoulders as she walked. She had a smirk on her face as she turned away from one of the male competitors, someone I didn't recognize. He must have been from another school because I would have remembered a face like his. He had a large nose with a piercing, big lips and brown eyes. He was nearly a foot taller than everyone else and had a big body. Not big as in fat, but big as in "mess with me and I'll mess you up". The guy noticed my stare and his eyes narrowed, but was ushered into the locker room before he could approach me. I shook my head and tried to focus while changing into my swimsuit. Tiffany was laughing with several other girls at the exit of the locker room. She blocked my way when I made to leave. "Just where do you think you're going?" she smirked.

"To watch your sad little face when I win this competition" I returned heatedly. Her eyebrows arched upwards in surprise.

"That's some mighty big talk coming from a homeless girl" Tiffany said smugly. "My guess? You won't even make it out of the lake".

"My guess? Your perfect little clothes will be soaked with tears when I win and you won't even finish" I snarled back as I pushed my way outside. Tiffany yelled something after me but I ignored it, nothing she said was ever important. The lake was at the bottom of a hill about a half mile away from the school surrounded by forest. I walked down the trail enjoying the peaceful meadow around me. The sun was out and shining despite it only being ten in the morning. When I reached the edge of the hill I looked down and sighed with relief. The sun glinted off of the pristine blue water, bringing a smile upon my face. I could see the contestants all lined up in front of me, and in the distance the bicycles and volunteers on the other side of the lake. I knew I should go down and get comfortable by the water, but I wanted a few more moments to myself. A slight breeze blew across my face and brought with it a sweet aroma. I sighed in content before making my way down to the lake.

Most of the competitors were already there, including the guy with the face that only a mother could love. He glared at me as I arrived but looked away as Coach Hummel came over to me. "You'll be fine Marissa, it's only a 2 mile swim" he said comfortingly, misreading my facial expression.

"What? Oh right, thanks Coach" I said. What I didn't say was "What is that guy's problem? Why does he always give me a death glare whenever he looks at me?". I was shaken out of my thoughts by Coach Hummel telling us all to line up. There were less than 50 competitors so instead of doing two separate triathlons for both genders, the race organizers decided to just have one triathlon instead. We all lined up on the edge of the lake looking out into the peaceful water. I noticed Tiffany and her friends lined up several meters down from me to the left, and Ugly Face down a few meters on my right. I smiled. At least they would both get a good view of me leaving them in the dust. I prepared myself to dive into the water in front of me, my whole body tensed and waiting for the signal. After what seemed like hours, Hummel's voice boomed out: "GO!".


	2. Chapter 2

I jumped as soon as I heard Coach Hummel's voice and soon met the lake with a large splash. I swiftly kicked my legs and ran my arms in a chopping motion to get across the lake. Whenever I brought my head up for air I noticed people different distances away but none ahead of me. After a dozen or so strokes I noticed Tiffany in my vision, her face focused on getting to the other side. A sudden rage flowed through me as I began to change my technique. Instead of using the standard movements I had practiced for months, the water seemed to sense my anger and urgency and quickly moved out of my way. I felt like I was flying through the air, not swimming through a crowded and rough lake. My eyes closed briefly, and when I opened them I was in shock. My hands met dirt. I climbed out of the water not caring how wet I was and surveyed the competition. No one had even made it halfway across yet. Tiffany and Ugly Face were doing the best out of the rest but they could only move through the lake so fast. And what was once a tranquil lake minutes earlier had transformed into a chaotic mass of water, not unlike the ocean in the middle of a heavy storm. I shuddered, thankful I had made it out before getting caught up in that mess. I turned around to find a man looking at me in awe, a blue badge reading "Volunteer" proudly placed on his chest.

"Do you have any bikes I can borrow?" I politely asked. His head shook as he escaped from his stupor.

"Yes we have a few over here, any that strike your fancy?". I walked over to inspect his wares. The first bike's owner was most likely a girl, the pink frills and pony stickers were a strong indicator of that. The second was a mountain bike. It was a little larger than what I was comfortable with, but the mud stains told me this bike had seen some action. The third bike was similar to the first but lacked the frills. I grimaced. Weren't there any bikes here that weren't overly girly or caked in dirt? Just as I was beginning to lose hope, I saw a gleam of silver at the end of the rack. I approached with care, noting the spotless tires and silver frame.

"Can I use this one?" I asked him.

"Uh sure. To be honest, I didn't even know we had that bike. Must have been recently donated" he mused.

I shrugged, thanking him for the bike. As I lifted it off of the rack I noticed how light it was. I gingerly sat on the silver seat, afraid of it not being able to support my weight. Luckily it held up just fine, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I gripped the dark green handlebars experimentally. They felt comfortable in my hands, smooth yet solid. I smiled. This race was turning out easier than I thought.

The next ten miles passed by like a dream. There were flags pinned to various trees that you were supposed to stay inside of to remain in the course, but since the only manageable way to navigate through the forest was on a dirt trail I gave up looking for those brief glimpses of neon orange flapping in the wind and focused on the ground in front of me. Bushes and tree branches whipped at my elbows as I sped along. I hadn't seen any of my competitors since I glanced back at the lake earlier. I heard a few shouts behind me once I was a few miles into the ride, but those were most likely just people getting tripped up and whatnot. Racing with so many people was occasionally hazardous, injuries were bound to occur. I saw a clearing up in front of me sped up. As I broke through the treeline a bench and a pair of bored volunteers greeted me. I rode up to them and slowed to a halt.

"Finally! We've been waiting here for hours" a tall skinny blonde complained as I dismounted my bike.

"Now now Linda, the head coordinator clearly said to wait a few hours before showing up" the guy with brown wavy hair chided.

"Doesn't mean it wasn't boring" Linda pouted. She crossed her arms as she looked me over. "No offense kid, but Mark and I were expecting someone with a little more…talent to show up first". My eyes narrowed at her tone but I restrained myself. I needed to save my energy for the eight mile run I had ahead of me.

"Well I'm happy to surprise you" I smiled as I rolled my wheels over to a bike rack, grass whipping at my shins.

"It's alright kiddo we believe in you!" Mark shouted after me with a wide grin on his face. I ran away on a new trail leaving shouts of encouragement from Mark in the distance. After several minutes I reached a nice rhythm and ran with a decent pace. Soft pitter patters from woodland creatures filled my ears as I jogged through the forest. My ears began to register a faint drone on the horizon which grew in both intensity and pitch as I approached it. That power line marked my entrance back into civilization, accompanied with a small one-way road into town. I heard my feet clop along the asphalt for what seemed like hours before roofs began appearing over my head. There was no movement to be seen as I ran through the town. It was like one of those ghost towns you hear about in horror stories, but I hadn't encountered any ghosts so far. I was startled by a noise when I reached what seemed to be the center of the small town. A figure in the distance was rapidly approaching me. After a few seconds I was able to make out the figure's face. I gasped. It was Ugly Face! _But how is that possible? _I wondered. He continued charging right at me, his face contorted in an ugly snarl befitting his namesake. I nimbly jumped to the left as he lumbered right past me, his body carrying him several meters before he realized that he had been eluded.

"Who are you?" I ask him, panting. He says nothing but glares at me, his shiny horn reflecting the sun into my eyes. Wait, his _horn_? Since when does Ugly Face have a horn? I shook aside my questions and began running away from him, an enraged bellow escaping his mouth. Still in disbelief, I look backwards to ensure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. He was no longer wearing his sweat pants and muscle shirt that he was in the gym. Instead he was wearing plates of armor and waving a battle axe by his side as he ran. _That is one ugly minotaur_ I thought to myself as I turned around. How did I know that and why am I not freaked out by him wearing armor and having a freaking axe in his hand? I had too many questions on my mind and the minotaur was slowly gaining on me. I couldn't outrun him forever, especially after the five or so miles I had already ran. I would have to face him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the short chapter but this is the first time I've ever tried to write a combat scene of sorts, so any feedback is greatly appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything like that.**

I turned around to find three hundred pounds of angry minotaur headed straight for my face. Instead of dodging to the side like I had earlier, I fell to the ground on my back. I grabbed the handle of his axe as he ran over me with speed I didn't know I possessed and by planting both of my feet on the underside of his meaty arm, managed to fling the brute straight into a comforting brick wall behind me. As I stood up with the axe in my hand, I realized how in control I felt. My breathing was steady, time seemed to slow down a little, and the battle axe that I should have been unable to lift felt like a children's toy. The minotaur stirred from under the rubble and slowly got to its feet. Seeing its weapon in my hand put him in a fit of rage, and he ran at me with the intent of crushing me under his size 22 feet. I calmly lowered the axe in front of me and when he came in range, cleaved the air with a horizontal slice with my eyes shut tight. I encountered no resistance and began to stutter backwards, thinking I missed. Instead what greeted my opening eyes was a pile of black dust that slowly began to disintegrate before me. I did not notice, but the axe also did the same. Once my right hand's fingers closed in on themselves I realized that the minotaur was well and truly gone. Breathing a sigh of relief, I began to recap the series of events so far. I encountered this ugly guy in the gym before we got ready for the triathlon, breezed past him in the water, didn't see him for the entirety of the bike ride, and yet he somehow was charging back at me when I ran into this small, seemingly deserted town. And he wasn't an ugly kid when he was charging, he was a minotaur. A minotaur. That's like an ancient Greek monster or something. _How did I even know what it was, and what was it doing here_? I wandered the streets for a few minutes pondering those two questions, before realizing why I was there in the first place. The triathlon. I could still win it! I found my way back to the center of town and started off down the road that was initially blocked by a crazy, raging minotaur.

Once I had gone about a hundred yards out of the town I looked back at it only to see a singular, deserted road. Whatever that place was, it along with any evidence of my fight with the minotaur, was gone for good. I mentally shrugged it off. I could worry about all of that once I had won the race and had some along time. Or maybe Brooke and Esther could help shed some light on things. They were always very helpful and full of good ideas. No matter how strange my story seemed, I knew I could count on those two.

After jogging two more miles I was exhausted. I still had three to go, but there was no way I could finish. Maybe if I didn't have to fight a mythical creature and save my own life I would have been fine, but right now I could barely manage to keep moving. I had moved beyond deserted road and was moving along a road cutting through a small section of forest. It was oddly calming to hear birds chirping and watching the wildlife move about. If they noticed me they paid no attention, some even crossing the road behind me. That calmness had probably propelled me for the last mile but now it did no good. I was on my last legs and needed something to energize me. Just as that thought passed through my mind I heard the unmistakable faint trickle of water. It sounded like it came from inside the right side of the forest. Hesitant to leave the path after what happened last time I was isolated from people, I decided the reward was worth it and stumbled off to the side. The brambles and thickets I so graciously barged through didn't sting me like I thought they would, but instead softly rubbed me, almost in a massaging way. I did not take time to make note of it because only one thing was on my mind: water. The trickle grew louder until it was a steady crash of water on rock. I crawled deeper into the woods before coming across the most beautiful river I had ever seen in my life. Crystal-clear water flowing like molasses until it came to a sharp ten foot drop and was met with several jagged rocks that I had no intention of saying hello to. I know that some rivers have bad bacteria in the water and whatnot, but I was too tired to be safe. I knelt down by the water's edge and cupped my hands. Filled with water I greedily slurped from them as much as I could before it was all too soon gone. I repeated this several times, even dumping some on my head to wash away some of the sweat I had. Instantly my thoughts cleared and I was focused: Win the triathlon. Got it. I scampered back to the road along the same path I took inwards and proceeded down the road at a methodical pace. Nothing was going to stop me from winning now.


End file.
